Water bed



Jan. 16,' 1934.

Filed Jan. 25, 1932 A. EWALD 1,943,888

WATER BED 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR i BYCQr/-EwcI/d Jan. 16, 1934. c, A. EWALD 1,943,888

WATER BED Filed Jan. 25, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR B Cari/1. UU/d ORNE Y Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1o claims.

My invention relates to beds for invalids, of the type generally designated water beds.

It is an object generally to improve such beds and to make them more comfortable, and to enable greater freedom of movement to the patient.

Itis a further important object to provide such a bed wherein it is not necessary to raise, lift or physically turn the patient from one side to another, but rather to accomplish such a result in a manner requiring slight effort on the part of the attendant and the minimum of discomfort to the patient.

It is a further object to provide such a bed wherein is provided a means to facilitate proper attention to the needs of the patient.

It is a further object to provide a water bed of this type which can also be tilted from a reclining to an upright position, and which may be provided with facilities such as a seat, a table, and the like, to assist the patient and to enable him to take advantage of the change of position.

Other objects, more especially such as pertain to structural matters, will be best understood from a study of the accompanying drawings (wherein my invention is shown in a form which at present is preferred by me), of this specication, and of the claims which terminate the same.

Figure 1 is a general side elevation of the water bed.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through such a bed, shown in the reclining position.`

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the bed, showing the same in upright position, and Figure 4 is a front elevation of the bed in upright position, with parts broken away.

Essentially the water bed comprises a box 1 of a length and breadth to receive a patient, and of a height that at the head end, at least, is not greatly in excess of the thickness of the patient. Associated with this watertight box, open at its top, is an impervious sheet 2 which is secured to the box at its edges, as indicated by the securing means 21. These securing means are made watertight, except possibly at the head end, so that the pressure of the patient upon the water, or a change in the position of the bed, cannot in any event force the water out at the edges of the sheet.

According to my invention the sheet 2 is formed with considerable slack at the sides, and in addi- 'tion it is desirable to provide slack at the ends. There should be suflic'ient slack to permit the body of the patient to be entirely water-borne, so that the sheet does not become a hammock and the weight of the patient does not pull at the securing means 21, Only in this way is achieved the full benefit of the even buoyancy and substantially pressureless support of the body which distinguishes this water bed from others. However, I prefer that the sheet have additional slack, being perhaps in excess of twice the area of the open top of the box 1. Now with the patient laid upon the sheet, the body will sink into the water until it becomes buoyant, and the body may then be likened to a log iloating upon a pond. If it is desired to turn the log, but little elfort is required, and so when it is desired to turn the patient a very moderate effort on the part of the attendant or the patient suftices to roll the patient, there being enough slack in the sheet to permit this without changing the patients general position in the middle of the bed. When the patient, floating as it were in the water, rolls over, the sheet moves but the patient still remains in the middle of the bed. The excess slack permits this, and it may at one time be gathered all at one side of the bed, and at another time be all at the other side of the bed. The slack folds may best be seen in Figure 4 as represented at 22.

It is preferable that the patient be entirely water-borne for greatest comfort and in order to avoid localized pressure which is the source of bed sores. At times, however,for instance, when using the bed pan-it may be desirable to support the patient otherwise, and for such purposes I have shown Within the water space, between the bottom of the box and the sheet 2, an inflatable mattress 3, a connection at 31 enabling its inflation when its use is required. Ordinarily it is deflated. This is disposed beneath the torso and hips, at least, and when inflated will support the body from beneath and offer a foundation upon which the bed pan may be supported. To prevent displacement of the mattress when the box is tilted, as will be described hereafter, I may provide an anchoring strap, as indicated at 32, secured to a ring 13 at the head of the box.

The box may be supported from a frame 4 by trunnions 14 whereon it can be tilted about a transverse horizontal axis. To accomplish this, various means may be provided, those shown comprising a circular segmental gear 12 secured to the boxr and a pinion 41 driven from the crank handle 42 through a gear train 43, the pinion 41 meshing with the gear segment l2. By these, or like means, the bed may be moved from the reclining position, substantially horizontal, as shown in full lines in Figure l, to an upright position, substantially as shown in dotted lines, or it may be held at any intermediate position.

Since the patient would not ordinarily wish to stand when the box is upright, I provide a seat 5 pivotally supported at 50 within the water space and connected by a cable 51 to a windlass 52, likewise within the water space, the cable passing over a guide pulley 53, and the windlass being operable by an arm 54 outside of the box, whereby the seat may be raised or lowered by the a+- tendant as desired.

Since the top of the box 1, particularly that portion adjacent the legs, is open, and since the sheet 2 has considerable slack, it is evident that the sheet would bulge out when the water level passes above the edge of the box, as the latter is tilted. Hence it becomes necessary to provide some means to contain the water, to aiord sufficient volume in the leg portion of the box, and also to permit flexing of the legs when the patient is seated upon the Seat 5, as shown in Figure 3. I prefer that the walls of the box at the foot end be raised above the edges at the head end, as may be seen in Figure 2, and at the raised edge I provide means-for instance, guide slots l-for the reception of a removable cover 6. This cover, then, contains the water and the slack in the sheet when the bed is upright, as seen in Figure 3, yet can be removed to afford free access to the patient when the bed is in reclining position.

The difference in level between the side edges at the head and foot ends of the bed may be made use of to provide a ledge 17 for the reception and support of a table board 7. This is located in convenient position for use by the patient when he is in the upright position, particularly when seated upon the seat 5. This table board 'l may be supplemented by an additional board '70 which may be pivotally supported at 71 upon the cover 6, and supported from the cover by a collapsible brace 72.

When the bed is in the upright position of Figures 3 and 4, the legs are completely submerged, and the water will wrap the slack of the sheet around the legs. There will be a tendency for the sheet to bind the legs so that they cannot move independently or at all freely, and to prevent this, and to give freedom of movement to the legs, I may provide boot portions 25, closed at the distal end and water-tightly connected to the sheet, within which the legs can be slipped. These boot portions are independent of each other and have a certain amount of slack between them, so that the legs thus encased, and when submerged, may move quite freely, one relative to the other.

The arrangements described, particularly the arrangements of the sheet, provide a considerable amount of slack which ordinariiy would be thought of as wrinkling and proving uncomfortable to the patient, but such would only be the case where the wrinkled portions are interposed between the patients body and a solid support, for instance, a mattress. It is the localized pressure which causes irritation and bed sores, but since the patients body is borne equally throughout all parts by the water, and since the water pressure is substantially equal on all parts o the body, no such irritation or soreness can result from wrinkled sheets. Of course, the attendant would naturally smooth out that portion of the sheet whereon the patient was to lie, and it would in general remain smooth as the patient was rolled, the rolling naturally taking up only the slack required, and no more.

It is clear that facilities such as openings through which the water can be filled and renewed from time to time, and such devices as drains, illustrated at i8, must be employed in connection with 'the bed, and such facilities are not further shown or described since their employment is to be understood in connection with a water bed.

What claim as my invention is:

l. A water bed comprising a Water-containing box open at its top, and an impervious sheet of area substantially in excess of twice the area of the open top or the box, secured by its edges to the box.

2. A water bed comprising a water-containing box open at its top, an impervious sheet of such area relative to the area of the box, as to leave slack therein when the body is water-borne, said sheet being secured by its edges to the box, and an inflatable mattress disposed within the water space between the box and sheet, to support the body when inflated.

3. A water bed comprising a water-containing box open at its top, a cover to close the top, above the legs of a person resting therein, an impervious sheet secured by its edges to the box, and of such area relative to the area of the box, as to leave slack therein when the body is Water borne, and means supporting the box -for tilting about a transverse axis.

Il. A water bed comprising a water-containing box open at its top, a cover to close the top, above the legs of a person resting therein, an impervious sheet secured by its edges to the box, and of such area relative to the area of the box, as to leave slack therein when the body is waterborne, means supporting the box for tilting about a transverse axis through substantially 90, a seat disposed in the space between sheet and box, and means to move the seat at will into operative or inoperative position.

5. A water bed comprising a water-containing box open at its top, an impervious sheet secured by its edges to the box, and of an area in excess of the area of the box, means supporting the box for tilting about a transverse axis from reclining to upright position, and a cover securable over the then lower portion of the box, of a height to contain the water restrained by the sheet.

e'. A water comprising a water-containing box open at its top, an impervious sheet secured by its edges to *he box, and of an area in excess of the area o the box, means supporting the box for tilting about a transverse axis from reclining to upright position, a cover securable over the then lower portion of the box, of a height to contain the water restrained by the sheet, and leg-receiving boots supported from the sheet, and spaced to aiord independent action of the legs when submerged.

7. A water bed comprising a water-containing box open at its tcp, an impervious sheet secured by its edges to the box, and oi an area in excess of the area of the box, means supporting the box for tilting about a transverse axis from reclining to upright position, a cover securable over the then lower portion of the box, of a height to contain the water restrained by the sheet, a table, and means to support the same upon the cover and the lower portion of the box in convenient position when the box is upright.

8. A water bed comprising a water-containing box open at its top and having sides at the leg end extending vertically to a height greater than the height at the head end, such as to contain the flexed leg of a person resting Within the bed, a cover securable over such raised leg portion, an impervious sheet secured about its edges to the edges of the box, and of an area in excess of the area of the box, means supporting the box for tilting about a transverse axis from reclining to upright position, and a table supported upon the theretofore vertical portion of the box edges.

9. A Water bed comprising a Water-containing box openV at its top, an impervious sheet of such CARL A. EWALD. 

